Among the Waters
by Demented Insane Spirit
Summary: An insight into the minds of those close to Will and Lyra as they watch the two children, who are no longer children, bask in the last moments they have together. One shot.


DIS: I was surprised, when I looked in on this fandom, that there weren't too many fics of it. Well, in any case, I wanted to unleash my thoughts on how Will and Lyra parted, so please read below and enjoy.

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_Title: Among the Waters_

_Rating: K_

_Genre: General/Romance_

_Summary: An insight into the minds of those close to Will and Lyra as they watch the two children, who are no longer children, bask in the last moments they have together. One shot._

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own the lovely _His Dark Materials _series; Philip Pullman does._

_Notes/Warnings: Will/Lyra; one-shot; new fandom for me_

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_Among the Waters_

The waters flowed steadily beneath the ship that crossed through the calmness of the seas. It was a lazy ride to Cittàgazze in the eyes of the gyptians, even for Serafina Pekkala and Mary Malone, one of which would soon be returning to her own world. For the two children, who were not really children any longer, it was far shorter. Every minute seemed like a second; every hour seemed like a minute; every time they looked at each other, it seemed as it the other wouldn't be there the next time they looked to them.

Farder Coram watched Will and Lyra, the girl he had so admired for her perception and vividness, and felt a sad kind of feeling; and it was too familiar. Once, he had been forced to make a decision that Will had to make. Once, he had been in love with someone who he knew he couldn't be with, just as these two young ones were. And now, he could feel his heart being weighed down by their own bitter pain as he sometimes watched them, so close, but so lonely.

With a tiny sigh, Farder Coram moved away from that side of the ship, towards the end, leaving the lovers alone. It was obvious by Lyra's unusual silence that she was trying to make every moment with Will last. Even their daemons, Pantalaimon and Kirjava, curled next to each other with a sense of knowing that soon, that could never happen again. As Farder Coram settled against the rail that was warm from the sun, John Faa approached him, his expression politeness obscured.

"Her daemon now has a fixed form," he remarked to Farder Coram, halting beside him, his massive arms pulled behind him. He turned a too-knowing look towards the elder male, who remained quiet. Out of the two of them, Farder Coram had been closer, since Lyra had been able to lurk around him more so than John Faa. "She is no longer the child we once had amongst ourselves in the Arctic, nor on the river." He smiled, saying, "She cannot even read the alethiometer any longer. There is now a good deal of intelligence behind that awkwardness she is growing into. She has done so much since we last saw her, hasn't she?"

"They are in love," Farder Coram said faintly, as if he were the one who had first spoken and that John Faa had never said a thing, but had been standing there silently. When he turned his weary eyes up to his companion's face, he saw his broad face soften and he glanced towards where Farder Coram had come from.

"I know."

"...There is something that not many know, John Faa." He paused, hesitating briefly. "I think...that the reason their daemons forms became unchanging was because they touched each other's." A shocked expression covered that of John Faa's face, but was hastily smothered as Farder Coram gave a dry smile. "True, it is unspeakable to touch another's daemon, but if a _lover_ does it..." He trailed off and for a moment, they stared at each other, a knowing look exchanging between them as John Faa comprehended what he was saying. "That is how it was with myself and..." He stopped, feeling his body go cold and warm at the same time. "That is what happened with my own daemon," he ended lamely. He had told John Faa, many years ago, of the truth, but it was still difficult to discuss even now

"I'm not sure why," John Faa murmured, respectfully ignoring Farder Coram's stumble, "but I never imagined little Lyra falling in love." He turned so that his back was pressed against the railing and he peered over at the two children a good deal away, leaning against each other as the ship glided artfully through the waters. "He seems like a good boy for her, though, don't you think?"

"He seems like an honest boy. It would have been easier if he was from her own world – I am convinced that the Roger boy Lyra spoke so much of would have been good for her, too, if he hadn't died – but that is how things sometimes are." He looked to him for confirmation.

"Sometimes," he agreed.

"Love is never easy."

To that, John Faa had no response.

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Serafina Pekkala sat quietly inside her cabin, drinking some tea without any real comprehension of what she was doing. All she could think of was the two frightfully young people outside who were about to be ripped apart because of fate – because of how things had to be. She continued to tell herself that it was much like her and Farder Coram, but they had been given a chance to be with each other for some time before they could no longer be together. For Will and Lyra, who had only recently discovered such a love, they would be given nothing but cold, ruthless separation.

_Maybe I feel so much for them because I go through the same torture that Lyra will. She will never be able to love another man again, will always think of Will. _She smiled slightly. _And he will be unable to look upon another girl the way that he does Lyra. For such two, beautiful children that did so much to save so many people and risk their lives for each other and their friends...they cannot even be given the chance to love each other. _Sighing, she took a sip of her tea. It had turned lukewarm, but she wasn't aware of even that. _Such a tragic reality._

"Serafina Pekkala?" came a soft voice. Startled from her brooding thoughts, she raised her head to see Mary Malone standing in the doorway, smiling with only half of the warmth that her smile would usually contain. "I wanted to see if you were doing well. Everyone on the ship has been anxious, I noticed. Are you...well?"

"Yes, thank you, Mary," Serafina responded, the frost that had been freezing her heart melting at the face of such friendliness. "I was simply thinking. Have you talked to Lyra today?"

"I have not spoken to her much since we came on the ship." Her eyes shifted. "It's best that she be with Will for as long as she possibly can. I wouldn't want to intrude on that. Not since..." She blinked. "Well, I haven't said anything to her and she is better remaining with Will." She smiled and it was even less warm than the one she had given earlier. It seemed almost forced. She found the sight of the two as heartbreaking as Serafina did. The witch wondered if she even realized that was the reason the gyptians were so anxious.

"Yes..." She sighed, turning her gaze back to her teacup. "It's best she be with Will."

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Lyra watched the sun's reflection break over the lulling waves of the water that hit the sides of the ship. Pan was curled in her lap and Kirjava was beside Will, lying on her side with one paw hanging off the edge of the boat. The soft colours that filled the surface of the water caused a lazy drowsiness in her, but she didn't stand up to go sleep or any such thing. She merely rested her head against Will's chest and closed her eyes to rest them, feeling his warm arm slide around her, his hand brushing her flaxen hair from her shoulder as his fingers settled there.

_One day, _she promised him silently as she snuggled up to his side, _after we have to return to our own world, we will meet again – every atom of our being – and so will our daemons meet us. _She smiled faintly and breathed in the scent of him. There were no terms for what it was, it was simply Will. _I promise,_ she added to herself.

_Finis_

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DIS: This wasn't meant to have any actual purpose, to be honest, I just felt like making one of these fics, because they really did make an adorable couple. In any case, please leave a review telling me whether you liked it or not. Ciao!


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